Critical Design Reseach

Cooper-Hewitt Museum: Set in Style – The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels

If anything, Van Cleef & Arpels are recognized for the unique way their stones are set – the Mystery Set.

Mystery-Set Bouquet Brooch, rubies and diamonds

This Mystery-Set Bouquet Brooch is an early example of the Mystery Setting. Van Cleef & Arpels as sought for creative innovation through improving stone cutting and setting techniques. The invention of new mechanisms during the Industrial Revolution resulted the development and patented ‘Mystery-Setting’ in the mid 1930s. This new setting technique resulted in a perfectly matched and hugging shapes where the stones come together to form a seamless surface.

Since it first opened in Paris in 1906, jewelry design institution Van Cleef & Arpels has played a leading figure in style and design. Their timeless pieces have been adorned by style icons including the Duchess of Windsor, Grace Kelly, and Elizabeth Taylor.